Scenario: Issue #1 Crucible of Valor:

Pochick Church 1861 ACW Rules for

Page 3 Black Powder
Page 13

Scenarios! Rules! Hobby News!

and Lots of ACW Action

Brett Davis (order #25740868)

Fall 2013
 Fall 2013
Introduction to ACW Gamer 2 Uniforms: Chasseurs de Vincennes 12

The official miniature of ACW Gamer 3 Crucible of Valor: 13*

An American Civil War Rule Set
Scenario: Pohick Church, 1861 4 For Black Powder
* Editor’s Note: The page numbering for this sec-
An interview with Chris Hughes 8 tion of the Ezine is separate from the rest of Issue
1. The purpose for this re-numbering is to assist
Units: The 83d Pennsylvania gamers who want to use the rules on their digital
Volunteer Infantry 10 devices, or to print out the rules and utilize them
with Jorge’s table of contents.

An American Civil War Game

from the Netherlands

Photo by Michael (mini-

mike-Mini stories.blogspot.
com)

Cover Photo: “Doctor’s Fork” by “Civil War Bill” Moreno of Crackerline Miniatures (Crackerlineminis.com)

ACW Gamer is a publication of Raven Banner Games. Raven Banner Games is registered as a business operating
in Pennsylvania, USA

Brett Davis (order #25740868)

 Welcome to the first issue of
ACW Gamer, the Ezine!
The Electronic Magazine dedicated to wargaming the American Civil War on the tabletop.

I decide to launch this project after a discussion with Scott Mingus, a gamer
buddy, and publisher of Charge!, the magazine of the Johnny Reb Gaming Soci-
ety. Scott had recently decided to cease publication of his magazine due to the
fact that his publishing career as a Civil War author had begun to demand more
of his time that he could spare to the magazine. Scott has published several
books in the last few years (see amazon.com) and is researching his next work
even now. Scott encouraged me to ‘pick up the torch’, so to speak, and launch
ACW Gamer. As I looked into a the possibility of creating a Civil War Gam-
ing Magazine, I quickly realized that I did not have the access to the publishing
resources, nor the funding to produce a printed publication. I also realized that
I am reading more and more rulesets and articles on my iPad. This lead me to
conlude that way to produce this magazine was as an Ezine. Lower overhead
for myself, easier to deliver, possibly a “greener” way to publish, and able to be
enjoyed on the user’s iPad, Kindle, or other device when it is convenient.

ACW Gamer cover the conflict from skirmishes to the greatest battles ever seen in the western hemisphere;
from the Rio Grande to Hampton Roads and in all miniature scales used by wargamers. Even some non-minia-
ture games will also be spotlighted when they 'blur' the lines such as Hasbro's Battle Cry or John Hill’s Shiloh
Dawn.

The American Civil War has long been a staple of miniature gaming. Many of the pioneering giants of this hob-
by, such as the late Donald Featherstone, pioneered this
hobby developing rules to the Civil War. A quick search
of online blogs will reveal miniature gamers fighting the
decisive conflicts or the sharp violent skirmishes fought
in a hundred fields, town or road intersections from Flor-
ida to the Arizona Territory, from Pennsylvania to Geor-
gia and almost every state in between. Some gamers are
even seek to answer the not only the common "what-if"
questions such as "what-if Stonewall Jackson was at Get-
tysburg?," but questions such as "what if the Royal Navy
intervened to break the naval blockade of the Southern
ports?" It is interesting to note that these blogs document
the efforts of players not only in the United States, but
Australia, Germany and Norway as well.

In my 25 years of fighting this conflict in miniature, gamer’s battlefields have evolved from green felt covered
ping-pong tables to highly sculpted and flocked layouts that any museum would be proud to display. Figures have
evolved from stiff, woodenly posed castings with no variation into highly detailed, well researched, dynamically

ACW Gamer
Brett Davis (order #25740868)
Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 1
 posed figures that allow you to build regiments with no two soldiers alike! I have seen gamers fight out their bat-
tles in 2mm, 6mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, 18mm, 20mm, 25mm, 28mm, 30mm, 40mm and even 54mm (I sup-
pose as some gamers get older and their eyesight poorer, we will eventually see battles being fought on the lawn
with figures the size of garden gnomes!)

Commercial support for Civil War gaming seems to keep getting stronger. Routine trips to TheMiniaturePage.
Com reward the visitor with announcements of new lines of miniatures and new scales. Hobbyists and profes-
sional publishers continue to introduce fresh rulesets in an attempt to recreate their vision of how battles in the
Civil War were fought. ACW rule sets that have become the pillars of the hobby are continuing to be revised and
updated. Hobby suppliers continue to tempt us with new ranges of figures and terrain. Miniature gaming the Civ-
il War remains on of the mainstays of the hobby.

ACW Gamer will looking for After Action Reports of your games, your reviews of new gaming products to
include rules, miniatures and terrain. Articles on terrain making, painting guides and stories on uniforms, units
and battles will be of great value to the magazine. Scenarios for any rule system, including ‘what if’ or fictional
scenarios would also be greatly appreciated. If you do submit a historical article, please include discussion on
how to use the information in your submission in gaming. For example, if you produce an article about fratricide
in the ACW, please include your thoughts on how to simulate these incidents on the tabletop.

ACW Gamer will close each future magazine by honoring the ancestor of a gamer who served in the ACW.
Service is not limited to service in battle as long as the gentlemen or lady served their country , North or South
during the conflict, so submit your bio’s and pics!

Before closing I would like to thank the numerous people who’s support has made this first issue possible, not
in the least the aforementioned Scott Mingus, my wargaming mentor of 23 years -Keith Sullivan, and my brother
Brian Huckaby for encouraging me to “go for it.” My wife, Lesley, who has followed me around more than her
share of Civil War battlefields and been very encouraging of this project, also deserves my gratitude.

I also am particularly indebted to the au-

thors and gamers whose works you shall be
enjoying in this issue. They took a leap of
faith on an amateur publisher like myself,
by submitting the articles and photos that
make this first issue possible.

ACW Gamer looks forward to providing

gamers with an enjoyable and information-
al resource that will enrich their tabletop
battles.

Stephen M. Huckaby
info@acwgamer.com
Photos by: Top- Michael Fisser from the Netherlands, (minimike-Mini stories.blogspot.com)
Center- “Civil War Bill” Moreno of Crackerline Miniatures (Crackerlineminis.com)
Bottom - Richard Garretson (www.warin15mm.com)

ACW Gamer
Brett Davis (order #25740868)
Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 2
 The Official Miniature of ACW Gamer Ezine

Photos by Bill Gilson

I am proud to introduce the official miniature of ACW Gamer. This miniature was commissioned exclusively for this Ez-
ine and was sculpted by Chris Hughes of Sash and Saber fame. This miniature is presented to authors who write articles for
ACW Gamer as a token of my appreciation for their contribution.

When Chris and I discussed the design of the miniature, I told him that I was looking for a subject that was neither ex-
clusively North or South but would capture the spirit of the conflict. The thought that came to my mind was to capture an
incident from the Battle of Fredericksburg - the act of mercy performed by Confederate soldier, Sergeant Kirkland. When I
mentioned the idea to Chris, he told me that he and Russ Dunaway of Old Glory had considered the same idea for the ex-
clusive miniature! With the subject of the sculpting established, Chris got to work and with the help of the amiable staff at
Old Glory, I had the the figures in hand prior to publication of the first issue of ACW Gamer.

For those who might not be familiar with Sergeant Kirkland’s story, here is a passage from the National Park Service's walk-
ing tour of the Sunken Road on Marye's Heights:

Tour Stop #6: The Kirkland Monument Although the Union army met utter
defeat at the Sunken Road on December 13th, they remained on the battlefield
crouched in their forward positions along the Stratton House ravine or hidden
in the buildings of town. The open plain, carpeted blue with fallen Federals,
rang out with the pitiful cries of the wounded. Nineteen-year-old Sergeant
Richard Kirkland of the 2nd South Carolina could tolerate the agonizing plead-
ing no longer. He received permission to scale the wall and bring relief to his
suffering enemies at peril to his own life. Union riflemen ceased firing as Kirk-
land moved from soldier to soldier on his errand of mercy.

There are some who now dispute the veracity of the legend of "the Angel of Marye's Heights" but it is likely that the event, or
something very much like it took place that sad December day as the American Civil War produced countless such acts
of compassion and heroism during the course of its bloody four years.The ACW Gamer exclusive miniatures is a tribute to
this spirit.
Above: The Sergeant Kirkland statue at Mary Heights at the Fredericksburg Battlefield. This statue was sculpted by Felix De Wheldon, who also
sculpted the Marine War Memorial in Washington, D.C., which depicts the flag raising on Iwo Jima. (photo from the NPS Fredericksburg website)

ACW Gamer
Brett Davis (order #25740868)
Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 3
 Scenario
Pohick Church,
Virginia
18 August 1861
By Chris Stoesen

This scenario is set up for the Too

Fat Lardies’ Terrible Sharp Sword
ACW rules. It is a largish skirmish
scenario featuring 32 Confederate
cavalry and 40 Union cavalry plus
some officers for each.
Chris Stoesen’s 15mm Confederates prepare to fend off the Yankees
Historical Description

Pohick Church is a historic church that was created prior to the Revolution. Among its historic members was
none other than George Washington who attended both before and after the Revolution. The church became
the site of several skirmishes during the war. When occupied by the North, the church was severely vandalized
with drawings of caricatures of Southern leaders, rude comments and the names of the soldiers occupying the
church. Pews were used as firewood and other acts of vandalism besides graffiti were committed (for more on
this historic church, visit http://www.pohick.org/history.html - editor).

The August 18th skirmish at Pohick Church was a small encounter. The 1st New York Cavalry had left Phila-
delphia on July 22nd for Washington, DC. When they arrived, they discovered a city teeming with soldiers fol-
lowing the Union Defeat at First Manassas.

Captain William H Boyd of C Company, the 1st New York Cavalry was ordered to scout up to the area of Po-
hick Church and capture some Confederates. “C” Company was the first to take the field of the Regiment. Cap-
tain Boyd and his men rode down a narrow road towards the crossroads near Pohick Church.

The scouts for the cavalry company spotted Confederate cavalry near the church and returned rapidly to the
main body of the company in a panic claiming that the entire Confederate army was present at the crossroads.
This caused the union cavalry to flee down the road. Captain Boyd was able to restore order and once again
advanced down the road to the church. Upon arriving at the crossroads, they encountered a formation of 20
Confederate dismounted Cavalry that were formed in a line. Shots were exchanged and the Confederates scat-
tered and fled down three of the roads.

Captain Boyd ordered his men to pursue. Apparently, at least one of these roads had an ambushing force in
place and a group of three Confederates appeared and opened fire as the Union Cavalry charged after the Con-
federates. This caused the Union Cavalry to stop their pursuit and leave.

In the end, the skirmish was inconclusive. The Confederate mounts were far superior to the Union mounts
and they outpaced their pursuers. The 1st New York Cavalry returned to headquarters with nothing to show for
their skirmish but three missing men. They did lose one man, Private Jacob Irwin (KIA Aug 18, 1861). The Con-
federates did not lose a single man.

ACW Gamer
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Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 4
 Scenario
Union Briefing

Your orders are to proceed to the Pohick Church and attempt to seize some prisoners to bring back for in-
terrogation. Sending out a few scouts to probe ahead was a good plan. However, your scouts just scared your
men causing a panic and general flight of your command. You have just gotten them back under control. One
of your steadier men has assured you that the Rebel cavalry at the church is only a few in numbers. See if you
can still manage to keep your orders.

Your Forces
Captain William H Boyd – Lvl III Big Man
Bugler
Lt Gibson (2nd Dragoons) – guide Lvl I Big Man
Lt Stevenson – Not represented
Lt William W Hanson – Lvl II Big Man
(46 men)
5 groups of 8 men –Mounted Cavalry - Experience: Greenhorns, Training: Drilled, Belief: Downcast, Musketry:
Acceptable Shots. Pistol and saber armed. Poor Mounts.

Confederate Briefing

You have been sent to conduct a reconnaissance of the area near Pohick Church. The church is a fine
building with considerable history. As you know this was George Washington’s church. You recently spotted a
couple of Yankee cavalry. They were driven off without a shot fired. You assume that they will be returning with
their main force. See if you can surprise them.

Your Forces
Confederate Cavalry Captain – Lvl III Big Man, Mounted
3 groups of 8 men –Cavalry, Experience: Tested, Training: Drilled, Belief: Determined, Musketry: Acceptable
Shots. Pistol and carbine armed, superior mounts

Ambushing Force
Confederate Sergeant – Lvl II, Foot,
1 group of 8 men – Infantry. Experience: Tested, Training: Drilled, Belief: Determined, Musketry: Acceptable
Shots. Rifled Musket armed

Cards
Each player will draw 2 cards from the bonus deck at the start of the game and can play them as they wish.

Main Deck
Union Cards Confederate Cards General Card
Captain Boyd Confederate Captain Coffee Break
Lt Hanson Confed Sgt Smoke
Lt Gibson GTN III x 1
GTN III x 1 GTN II x 1
GTN II x 1
GTN I x 1
ACW Gamer
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Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 5
 Scenario
Bonus Deck
General
Water x 2 Ammunition x 3 The Good Book x 1
Stonewall x 2 Bugle Call x 2 Sam Colt’s Equalizer x 2
Old Glory x 2 Heat of the Day Dag Nabbit! x 1
They’s a Comin’ x 2 Ambuscade x 2 Whiskey’s in the Jar x 2
Hold there Boys x 1 Rebel Yell x 3 Crashin’ Volley x 2
Smokin’ x 1 Poor Mounts x 3 Jumpin’ Jehossaphat x 1

There are several cards above that do not appear in the base Terrible Sharp Sword rules. These were created
for the supplement The Coming Thunder. The definitions of these cards are below.

They’s a Comin - When this card is drawn from the deck it is played immediately. Any green force on the table
that is still on blinds, has one of their blinds open fire in panic at the nearest blind to them (friend or foe) or upon
the closest enemy unit (if the deployed enemy unit is deployed. The unit is immediately deployed and in an un-
loaded status. When firing on the blind, treat the unit receiving fire as in heavy cover. If that blind is already in
heavy cover, reduce the amount of dice by half again. Casualties are determined when that blind deploys.

Hold there boys – When this card is played a group or formation that is led by a big man may remove 1d6 of
shock - provided they do not move for that turn. The unit may fire.

Poor mounts – This card applies to any Union early war force where cavalry is mounted on poor mounts. Any
force with poor mounts that has this card drawn must play the card immediately. Randomly choose one group of
poorly mounted cavalry and a horse from that group drops dead from exhaustion.

6 ft X 4 ft Table
Map

ACW Gamer
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Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 6
 Scenario
Umpire Notes

The scenario should allow for a hidden group of Rebels to be placed anywhere along one of the roads. The
Confederate cavalry is placed as a visible blind in the near the church. The Union cavalry enters the map from
any of the main roads leading to the church on the first turn of the Union Blind card.

About the Author

Chris lives in the Atlanta area and enjoys history and war
gaming. Chris is a regular contributor to the TooFat-
Lardies bi-annual specials and has several scenario books
published through them. He has also written several sce-
nario books including The Coming Thunder - June - Dec
1861 that covers the first few months of the ACW in North-
ern Virginia. There are 16 individual scenarios and a cam-
paign generator included. These were all written for the
TooFatLardies rules Terrible Sharp Sword but are easily
transferable to other rule sets such as Brother Against
Brother.

In addition he has several scenario books covering the air

war in North Africa during World War II. If you are interest-
ed, check out his blog: http://cstoesen.blogspot.com. In-
formation on ordering his books can be found at: http://cs-
toesen.blogspot.com/p/for-sale.html. If you wish to contact
Chris, send him an e-mail: chrisstoesen@gmail.com

Michael Fisser’s 28mm Confederate Cavalry raise a little hell.

ACW Gamer
Brett Davis (order #25740868)
Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 7
 An Interview
with Chris
Hughes
The signature miniature of ACW Gamer highlighted in this issue was
designed and sculpted by Chris Hughes of Sash and Saber Castings. In an
attempt to remain journalistically honest, I have to disclose that I have been in
love with the Sash and Saber figures since they came on the wargaming scene
in 2001.

ACW Gamer, is please to converse with Chris and gain new insight into how the miniatures "business" works.

ACWGamer: Chris why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, in particular, your background in wargaming,
your interests in the Civil War and sculpting experience?

Chris: I was interested in military history, and particularly in the ACW, from a very early age. When I was 5 or 6 I
remember making my father stop at all the battlefields along the way from our home in western PA to visit our rela-
tives in NC. Because of that interest in military history, my grandfather thought I might like to see some "wargames"
being played at the college where he taught. In the late 1960's, Point Park College (in Pittsburgh) had a thriving
wargame club -- the day I visited, there were multiple games being played. I remember a large 20mm Napoleon-
ic game and TYW game utilizing 30mm flats. As a 7 year old, I was enthralled ... and hooked for life. The next
day I demanded that my grandfather take me to the local hobby shop where, with the meager amount of money I
possessed, I purchased 4 Hinton Hunt British Napoleonic artillerists and a gun (they only had an ACW 10lb Parrott,
but I didn't care). I started collecting/painting figures (mainly Airfix) and amassing lots of books about gaming,
modelling, military history, etc. I recruited friends into gaming and we had quite a little group of preteen gamers.
We did Medievals, Napoleonics, ACW and WWII. Later on I started to do some conversions since there wasn't the
vast selections of figures available today. In my late teens, I started using epoxy putty (nothing like what's avail-
able now) to modify metal AWI figs. This experience would -- years later -- lead to part time work working for Old
Glory. A few years later I was hired full time and have worked for Old Glory ever since. Sash and Saber Castings
was started as a side business and remains secondary to my obligations to Old Glory.

ACWGamer: How did you learn to sculpt miniatures? If someone wanted to become a miniatures sculptor, how
would they go about it?

Chris: I am self taught, although when I went to work for Old Glory I was mentored by Andy Cooper, now of
West Wind. Someone who wants to design figures does need to have some innate talent but not necessarily an
art background. It really requires improving with lots of repetition. I look back on most of my early sculpts with
embarrassment. The internet has allowed easy access to techniques and "tricks of the trade."

ACWGamer: When you sculpt for clients, how much freedom do they give you to design the figures? How long
does it take to complete a figure from design to a completed master?

Chris: At present, I don’t have time to do any contract work but while working for Old Glory I’ve been given a fair

ACW Gamer
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Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 8
 amount of freedom regarding the particular design of the figures. The amount of time required for an individual
figure is extremely variable, especially since I usually work on many figures at a time. For instance, I may work on
60-70 18mm figures, 20-30 25mm figures, or 10-15 40mm at a time -- often, my schedule requires a mix of scales
at a time. So much depends on the figure type, scale, and period. On average, I can usually do 10-25 figures a
week depending on the size.

ACWGamer: How do you go about researching the uniform and equipment of the figures you sculpt?

Chris: Over the years I’ve managed to assemble quite a reference library. When I travel, I usually visit any used
book stores for appropriate titles. I never know what I might need in the future, so if there are uniform, weapons or
equipage books available, I’ll pick them up. Also, the ability to search online has made researching much easier.

ACWGamer: What inspired you to make the American Civil War one of the three founding ranges for Sash and Sa-
ber Castings?

Chris: It was always one of my major interests, along with the AWI, so with it’s enduring popularity amongst the
public it made perfect sense to make that the focus of our original releases.

ACWGamer: With all the regiments, theaters and uniforms of the ACW, how do you decide which figures to pro-
duce? How do you decide which poses to sculpt, and which poses are most requested by gamers?

Chris: At this point, customer suggestions are important in picking what units to release. For instance, I knew that
the recent 14th Brooklyn release would be popular since only Connoisseur previously made it and many customers
were requesting it. I made an early decision to only design figures in realistic poses, relying heavily on actual drill
manuals. Although I get many requests for “advancing” with musket held at 45 degrees, I doubt that I’ll ever relent
and do figures like that. Most gamers want either marching, firing line, or skirmishing poses.

ACWGamer: One thing that interested me about Sash and Saber figure line was you didn’t produce the usual per-
sonalities that ACW figure manufacturers normally introduce, such as General Lee or General Meade. You chose to
sculpt lesser know generals such as John Gordon and Abner Doubleday. Why did you chose these officers and not
the usual Generals we see?

Chris: We decided to do personalities that other manufacturers did not -- I didn’t think we needed more Lees and
Meades. I wish I had more time to add more “lesser” personalities ... I’ll eventually get around to adding more.

ACWGamer: Chris, you were one of the pioneers in the 40mm scale. Why 40mm? How has this scale fared over
the last few years and how is it’s future looking?

Chris: Originally, we envisioned that the 40mm figures would be at-

tractive to military miniature collectors and diorama makers because of
their very affordable price. I certainly did not think they would be-
come popular for gaming. Soon, however, we received multiple re-
quests from customers to expand the ranges to enable wargaming with
the 40mm figures. At present 40mm ranges are about 50% of our sales
with the overwhelming majority of our 25mm sales being ACW.

ACW Gamer: So, what can Civil War Gamers look forward to from Sash
and Saber in the future?

Chris: We plan on adding a number of “specialty” codes to the 25mm Union Zouave’s from Sash and Saber’s 40mm Range
ACW range. VMI Cadets, Wilder’s “Lightning” Brigade, western theatre
Federals, Hood’s Texans are all in the pipeline.

ACWGamer: Thank you for your time, Chris, and thanking for helping fill the ranks of our armies.

ACW Gamer
Brett Davis (order #25740868)
Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 9
 Units
The 83rd Pennsylvania
Volunteer Infantry
By Eric “EK” Kessler, Misery Bay Gamers, Erie, PA

“The Eighty-Third encountered more fighting and lost more men

in battle than any other Pennsylvania regiment; in fact, its loss in
action was exceeded by only one other in the entire Union army.
None of its losses were caused by blunders, none occurred in disas-
trous routs; its dead always lay with their faces to the enemy. …”
William F. Fox, Regimental Losses in the American Civil War,
1861-1865.

The American Civil War has been a popular conflict to sim-

ulate or game in miniature for generations. Knowing the back-
ground of the commanders and the history of the regiments
involved can allow for flavor in those games and make them just
that more enjoyable. This article will delve into the history of the
83rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, “ … one of the very best
Photo by Pennsylvania State Archives
regiments in the army.” - General McClellan

The 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (PVI) Regiment was mustered in Erie, PA in September 1861. It would be the
first of three regiments mustered there, the other two regiments being the 111th and 145th. The regiment would be present-
ed with the Chasseur de Vincennes uniform by General McClelland for drill prowess. Only two other regiments would be
presented that uniform, the 18th Massachusetts and the 62nd Pennsylvania.

Before being attached to Daniel Butterfield’s 3rd Brigade of Fitz John Porter’s 1st Division, 3rd Corp, Army of the Potomac
in March 1862, the 83rd PVI served in the defense of Washington D.C. Two months later, the regiment would be attached to
the 5th Corp, along with it’s twin regiment the 44th New York (aka the Butterfield twins, which would always fight side-by-
side), and would participate in the siege of Yorktown, VA and the battle of Hanover Court House before enduring it’s biggest
trial by fire during the Seven Days battles of the Peninsula Campaign (June 25-July 1, 1862).

The battle of Gaines Mill, on June 27, would see the 554 men of the regiment fight on all four points of the compass re-
sponding to five different assaults, losing 46 killed, including it’s commanding officer Colonel John B. McLane, 51 wounded
and 99 missing or 35% casualties. The 83rd PVI would lose many a color bearer that day. At one point, Brigadier General
Butterfield seized the regimental colors and shouted “Your ammunition is never expended while you have bayonets, my
boys, and use them to the socket.” Butterfield would receive the Medal of Honor for that act. Only four days later, at Mal-
vern Hill the regiment would lose another 33 killed, 115 wounded, and 18 missing or 46% casualties. Between those two
battles, the 83rd PVI took 362 casualties or 65%. The regiment would fight again at 2nd Bull Run, be held in reserve at An-
tietam, and fight at Fredericksburg before 1862 came to a close.

1863 would see the 83rd PVI fight at Chancellorsville where its commander, Colonel Strong Vincent was promoted to
command the brigade, which now consisted of the 83rd Pennsylvania, 44th New York, 16th Michigan, and 20th Maine.
Captain Orpheus S. Woodward would command the regiment during its next test at Gettysburg on July 2. The 83rd PVI
fought on the right flank the 20th Maine on Little Round Top with the 44th NY to its right and the 16th MI to the right of

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Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 10
 Units
the 44th NY. Early in the battle, Colonel Vincent was mortally wounded, but the brigade held its position against the Texans
and Alabamians of Law’s Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia (ANV). The 20th Maine even distinguished itself by making
a bayonet charge upon running out of ammunition. The 83rd PVI would also see action at Rappahannock Station and Mine
Run before the year was out.

The 83rd PVI took part in all the major engagements of General Ulysses S. Grant’s campaign against General Robert E.
Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia including the Wilderness, North Anna River, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Weldon Railroad,
and Poplar Springs. In the fall, the regiment would be reduced to only six companies because of expiring enlistments. It
would be early 1865 before replacements would bring the regiment back up to 10 companies.

Hatcher’s Run and Five Forks would be the last engagements before the 83rd PVI would take part in the surrender of the
Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. The regiment was then mustered out on June 28,
1865 and disbanded at Harrisburg, PA on July 4, 1865.

Total regimental losses were 11 Officers and 271 Enlisted men KIA with another 2 Officers and 151 Enlisted men suc-
cumbing to disease for a total of 435 men or 24% of the regiment’s total enlistment of 1808 men.

Two members of the 83rd PVI would earn the Medal of Honor:

Sergeant Peter Grace of Company G, 83rd PVI, Wilderness, VA, 5 May 1864.
Citation: 27 December 1894. Single-handed, rescued a comrade from two Confederate guards, knocking down one and
compelling surrender of the other.

Private Jacob E. Swap of Company H, 83rd PVI, Wilderness, VA, 5 May 1864.
Citation: 19 November 1897. Although assigned to other duty, he voluntarily joined his regiment in a charge and fought
with it until severely wounded.

Because the 83rd PVI served through the majority of the American Civil War and had three different commanding of-
ficers during that time, there is plenty of fodder to flavor your games. Colonel McLane was courageous and unflinching,
while Colonel Vincent was quick thinking and a risk taker,
and Colonel Woodward was steadfast and unyielding when
it came to his men. The regiment itself prided itself on its
drill as well as its devotion to sister regiment, the 44th NY.
Using this information to adjust stats, morale, reactions, etc.
can make a game feel more historical to start as well as more
surprising to play.

Eric “EK” Kessler

Misery Bay Gamers
Erie, PA

Strong Vincent’s statue in Erie, PA. Colonel Vincent is portrayed at

Gettysburg, welding his wife’s riding crop, and extolling his men to hold
Little Round Top, shouting “Don’t Give an Inch , boys!”- Photo by Jason
Kane

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 Uniforms
Chasseurs de Vincennes
By Eric “EK” Kessler, Misery Bay Gamers, Erie, PA

When the Civil War started, Americans, including the military, desired anything French. The army ordered 10,000 com-
plete French M1860 light infantry uniforms, also known as Chasseur de Vincennes, in August of 1861. These uniforms were
to be issued to General Fitz-John Porter’s division and its regiments competed to receive them. The 18th Mass, 62nd PA,
83rd PA were all presented the coveted uniform for drill prowess.

Because American men of that time were generally larger than their French brethren, the majority of the uniforms were
too small to be worn. However, some of the men modified their kit with gussets in the jackets and wore them with pride
until March of 1862 when they were placed in storage. While the uniform was never worn en masse during any engagement,
various components were kept of their owners and would be seen throughout the war. As an aside, the pantloons and talmas
of the Chasser de Vincennes uniform were confiscated by the federal government to make uniforms for other regiments,
most notably the 146th NY zouaves.

The equipment of the Chasseur de Vincennes uniform is as follows:

Dress Coat ... dark blue, trimmed in yellow, with pewter buttons, and green epaulettes
Fatigue Coat ... same as the dress coat, but less tail panels, yellow trim, and epaulettes
Pantaloons ... zouave pattern and gray/blue in color
Cloak ... also known as a talma, was same gray/blue color as pantaloons and hooded
Shirt
Dress Cap ... black leather shako with brass plate, cockade, and feather plume
Fatigue Cap ... dark blue trimmed in yellow
Shoes
Leather Gaiters ... as known as Jambieres
Linen Gaiters
Leggings
Gloves ... white cotton
Wool Blanket
Knapsack ... hair tanned leather
Haversack
Canteen
Cartridge Box
Sword Belt
Tin Cup

Members of the re-enacted 83d PVI located

in Erie, PA

ACW Gamer
Brett Davis (order #25740868)
Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 12
 Rules

Crucible of Valor
An American Civil War Rule Set for Black Powder

I have written a unofficial supplement for Black Powder for the American Civil War that includes write-ups of
troops and optional points cost using Appendix 4, pages 178-181 of the Black Powder rule book. Included in
each stat-line are points cost for each of the units. These points cost are optional and are there for those people
interested in games using points. I just wanted to have a codified source of ACW rules to use in BP. There are a
number of excellent sources for campaigns that can easily be adapted to the Black Powder system.

Thanks to Sparker and Provost and other members of theminiaturespage.com for the excellent suggestions
on the Rebel Yell rule. Any comments or suggestions appreciated; please send them to jrwarlock@gmail.com.
Black Powder rules are wholly owned by Warlord Games. More information on the rules at Warlordgames.
com

Photo by Scott Macphee, http://macpheesminiaturemen.blogspot.com

ACW Gamer
Brett Davis (order #25740868)
Issue 1 Fall 2013 Page 13
 Crucible of Valor
An American Civil War Rule Set for Black Powder
v. 1.3, 2013 by Jorge Rodriguez Jr., M.A.E.E.
Black Powder rules are wholly owned by Warlord Games. More information on the rules at Warlordgames.
com

Contents
Optional Rules..............................................................1 infantry or miles from the front line as well as the place-
A Note on Artillery......................................................1 ment of guns and their caissons. Confederates also
Artillery Special Rules..................................................1 suffered from a mixture of gun types within the same
Individual Cannons....................................................1 battery, ergo ammunition of differing types were need-
Batteries.....................................................................2 ed. In addition, there were few foundries in the South
Ammo Types..............................................................2 that could produce cannons; batteries were formed by
Seizing the Colors........................................................2 four guns instead of the customary six.
Rules for Confederate forces.......................................3
Confederate Regiment Descriptions............................4
Artillery Special Rules
Individual Cannons
Confederate Regiments Tables.................................5
Roll the number of dice equal to the distance of the
Rules for Union Forces................................................8
target, i.e. 3 for short range, 2 up to half range and 1
Union Regiment Descriptions......................................8
over half range. Roll the dice one at a time and apply
Union Regiment Tables.............................................9
Artillery Weapon Profile (Confederate and the usual ‘shooting to hit’ modifiers. If the shot hits then
score a hit on the target. If it misses then it fails to hit
Union)........................................................................11
Scenario: Decimation of the 5th New York................12 and the gun cannot shoot further that turn. If the shot
misses and you rolled a 1 then something has gone
References................................................................14
wrong. Roll the number of dice equal to the distance of
the target, i.e. 3 for short range, 2 up to half range and
Optional Rules 1 over half range. Roll the dice one at a time and apply
the usual ‘shooting to hit’ modifiers. If the shot hits then
Since the end of the War, there has been speculation score a hit on the target. If it misses then it fails to hit
on the possession of abilities attributed to notable and the gun cannot shoot further that turn. If the shot
units. Reflected in this rule set, certain units have new misses and you rolled a 1 then something has gone
special rules which are detailed below. These special wrong and the weapon has misfired or malfunctioned
rules are wholly optional. In some of the stat lines, in some way. A malfunctioning gun can be repaired by
there are two or three numbers; the first number is the its crew in any following turn. Roll a die - on the roll of
cost of the unit without the special rule, the second one 5 or more the weapon is repaired and can then shoot
is with the special rule included and the third is with in its following turn.
the rifled musket. I feel this caters to both sides of the
issue for those who want it or for those don’t.

A Note on Artillery
Confederate forces had a number of logistical prob-
lems with artillery, notably with the quality of the fuses
and shortages of supply in both cannon and ammuni-
tion. Strategic problems included the position of ar-
tillery trains in the marching order, usually behind the
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 American Civil War Ruleset for Black Powder
Batteries misses and you rolled a 1 then something has gone
Confederate forces may purchase artillery pieces ei- wrong and the weapon has misfired or malfunctioned
ther singularly or in batteries of four; Union forces may in some way. A malfunctioning gun can be repaired by
purchase artillery pieces either singularly or in batter- its crew in any following turn. Roll a die - on the roll of
ies of six. Reduce one point of cost for each gun in the 5 or more the weapon is repaired and can then shoot
battery. If the guns are purchased as part of a battery, in its following turn.
you may, before any rolls are made, choose to fire:
A) Concentrated volley on one target Ammo types
Roll the number of dice for the range of the furthest Individual guns or batteries may fire:
gun in the battery from the target, i.e. 3 for short range, 1) Shell – solid, use the normal artillery rules, pages
2 up to half range and 1 over half range and apply the 53-55.
same amount of dice to each gun in the battery. Roll 2) Case – airburst; ignores “Target is Not Clear /Skir-
the dice one at a time for each gun in the battery and mish/ Artillery” -1 To Hit modifier if the target is within
apply the usual ‘shooting to hit’ modifiers. If the shot woodland, behind hedgerows or low walls, barricades
hits then score a hit on the target. If it misses then it or other comparable cover and the -1 To hit modifier if
fails to hit and the gun cannot shoot further that turn. the cannon is shooting over other units.
If the shot misses and you rolled a 1 then something 3) Canister - range 18” and uses the shooting value
has gone wrong and the weapon has misfired or mal- for short range.

Howitzer Rules - This artillery piece follows the rules

for howitzers on page 80 -81 in the rule book.

Seizing the Colors

Colors or flags were and still are source of pride, as
they represent the traditions and honor of the regi-
ment. As armies adopted set formations there grew a
need to keep the formations in line. During battle, the
colors were used as visual rallying points for the regi-
ment as well as the focus for attacks and defense. The
colors were carried by a soldier of extraordinary brav-
functioned in some way. A malfunctioning gun can ery whose role was to carry the flag where the regi-
be repaired by its crew in any following turn. Roll a mental officers directed, while unarmed and under fire.
die - on the roll of 5 or more the weapon is repaired The death rate of color bearers was high.
and can then shoot in its following turn. When hit by a The loss of a regiment’s flag was not only disgraceful,
volley from a battery, a target’s morale saving throw is but losing this central point of reference could make
reduced by 3, regardless of range. the unit break up. Consequently, the capture of an
 enemy’s standard was considered as a great feat of
Example: Range is measured from the furthest gun in arms. The regiment would often go to great lengths to
the battery avoid capture or recapturing their colors, sacrificing
many men in the struggle to retain their honor.
B) Fire individually: At the end of any hand to hand combat, any unit that
Roll the number of dice equal to the distance of the was in contact with an enemy unit may declare that
target, i.e. 3 for short range, 2 up to half range and 1 they are attempting to seize the colors or regain their
over half range. Roll the dice one at a time and apply lost colors. Before executing the mandatory results
the usual ‘shooting to hit’ modifiers. If the shot hits then of the Break test, each unit, the unit attempting to
score a hit on the target. If it misses then it fails to hit seize the colors and the unit attempting to save the
and the gun cannot shoot further that turn. If the shot colors, rolls a number of dice equal to the table below:

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 American Civil War Ruleset for Black Powder

Dice Roll Modifiers for the colors and gains possession of the flag.
+1 +1 Unit charged this turn. If the unit has
charged into combat this bonus applies only In subsequent turns, players may wish to continue try-
in the first turn of fighting. ing to seize the colors or try to regain the captured col-
+1 +1 Unit won the combat this turn. If the ors, indeed they may feel honor bound to do so! If you
unit won the combat this round, apply this wish, you may place a spare enemy flag in the winning
bonus for this turn only. side’s unit to represent the captured colors and brag-
-1 -1 Combatants are Shaken/Disordered. ging rights after the battle. Note that this rule does not
The unit is either ‘shaken’ or ‘disordered’ or affect the outcome of the normal hand to hand combat;
both. it just adds a little color (no pun intended) to the com-
-1 -1 Combatants are Skirmishers. The unit bat.
is in skirmish formation. Units in skirmish for- Rules for Confederate Forces
mation prefer to skirmish rather than fight. The Confederate forces were blessed with a great
-1 -1 Engaged to the Flank/Rear. If a unit is number of both tactically brilliant and charismatic Gen-
engaged to its flank or rear then its ability to erals, which allowed them to, in the majority of the
fight effectively is seriously compromised. cases, make do with less men and materiel than the
North. Thus, Confederate commanders cost equal to
Unit Size Modifiers their Staff Rating x10.
1 Tiny Unit
2 Small Unit Rebel Yell: This special rule is a modification of the
3 Standard Unit “Terrifying Charge” rule - charging Confederate Veter-
4 Large Unit an and Elite Regiments may issue a Rebel Yell, forcing
the target Union to take an immediate Break test. If
Example: a Confederate standard unit (3) wishes to and when Union target have passed their associated
seize the colors of a Union small unit (2) which it had break test, they are deemed to have ‘seen the ele-
just charged and defeated in hand to hand combat. phant’, and no longer have to test for the remainder of
Before executing the mandatory results of the break the battle. Use an appropriate marker to indicate that
test, The Confederate standard unit has the following the enemy unit has passed the Break test.
modifiers to its rolls: +1 for charging and +1 for win-
ning the combat for a total of +2. The Union small unit Foot Cavalry: This special rule simulates the rap-
has -1 because the unit is shaken. The Confederate id deployment of then Brigadier General Thomas J.
standard unit rolls 3 dice and adds +2 to each die Jackson’s ‘Stonewall Brigade’ composed of the 2nd,
resulting in a 1+2=3, 5+2=7, and 3+2=5. The Union 4th, 5th, 27th, and 33rd Virginia Infantry regiments as
small unit rolls 2 dice and subtracts -1 to each dice well as the Rockbridge 1st Artillery Battery. Units with
resulting in 6-1=5 and 2-1=1. The Confederate stan- the ‘Foot Cavalry’ special rule move 14” during each
dard unit has rolled one die higher than the Union movement. You may choose to add this special rule to
small unit’s dice so they successfully seize the colors. any of your Green Infantry, Regular infantry, Veteran
If the Union small unit did not break and flee, they may infantry or Elite infantry units for an additional 6 points
attempt to regain their lost colors the next turn of Hand for each unit.
to Hand combat.
Reluctant: Veteran soldiers, through hard experience,
learned when attacks on fixed positions could be suc-
Each unit then applies the following modifiers to their cessfully assaulted and which ones could not succeed.
rolls. The modifiers are cumulative: Many units ‘went to ground’ rather than get slaugh-
Both units then compare the results of their rolls. The tered. This is not a comment on their courage rather
unit with the highest numbers of rolls wins the struggle a reflection of their experience. If this unit is given the
order to Charge enemies that are in cover, occupy-

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 American Civil War Ruleset for Black Powder
ing buildings or fortifications, then this unit rolls on to bolster the line at a critical moment. This regiment
the Blunder table (page 29 of the Black Powder Rule has both the Elite and Valiant Special Rule which
book). Follow the instructions on the table, except could potentially turn the tide of battle. The Rebel Yell
treat a roll of one (1) as Retreat. The unit will attempt special rule simulates the Confederate battle cry that
to make one move away from the closest enemy they occasionally disconcerted Union forces. This regiment
can see. They may not charge other enemy who lie in can be armed with Rifled muskets (for Confederates it
their path - but must avoid them in so far as possible. was mainly the 1853 Enfield rifle) for +4 points.
If no enemy are in sight, they make a move towards
their own rear or table edge as seems most appropri- Confederate Zouaves - The zouaves were units of
ate, and a roll of two (2) as Hold its ground - it stays highly motivated volunteer militia. Zouaves wore dis-
where it is and does not move. tinctive uniforms which set them apart from the rest of
the troops. Zouave had a reputation of being fierce but
Confederate Regiment Descriptions disciplined fighters under fire. Confederate forces had
Green Confederate Infantry - Regiments with this fewer Zouaves units than the Union and by mid war
designation are freshly raised regiments that have ‘yet had almost none left; a couple of notable examples
to see the elephant’ and therefore unsure how com- are Wheat’s Louisiana Tigers and Coppen’s Zouaves.
bat will affect them. Confederate green infantry have This regiment can be armed with Rifled muskets (for
the Untested Special Rule which represents the regi- Confederates it was mainly the 1853 Enfield rifle) for
ment’s insecurity before the battle. In campaigns, most +4 points.
of the Confederate forces are green during the 1861
campaigns, but the number of Green regiments was Confederate Infantry Sharpshooters – Confederate
drastically reduced due to attrition in later years of the sharp shooters functioned more as skirmishers; often
conflict. This regiment can be armed with Rifled mus- serving as reconnaissance and scouts ahead of the
kets (for Confederates it was mainly the 1853 Enfield main force. Confederate forces used sharp shooters
rifle) for +4 points. more often than the Union; often placing units in reg-
iments or in battalions rather than organized as one
Regular Confederate Infantry - A typical line infantry single regiment or battalion. Dedicated sharpshooter
regiment that has been bloodied in the crucible of war. units included: (Pindall’s) 9th Battalion Missouri Sharp-
This regiment can be armed with Rifled muskets (for shooters; the 1st & 2nd Battalions Georgia Sharp-
Confederates it was mainly the 1853 Enfield rifle) for shooters; and the sharpshooters battalions of the
+4 points. Army of Northern Virginia. Confederate sharpshooters
were often less well equipped than Federal counter-
Veteran Confederate Infantry - This designation parts, often using the Enfield Rifled Musket or (the
applies to many of the infantry brigades that fought more uncommon) hexagonal bore Britis Whitworth
since the beginning of the War of Northern Aggres- rifles.
sion. A veteran Confederate regiment has the Reli-
able Special Rule which represents a hardened body Confederate Cavalry- Use the stats, rules and point
of soldiers. The Rebel Yell special rule simulates the cost in the Black Powder rulebook, page 180.
Confederate battle cry that occasionally disconcerted
Union forces. This regiment can be armed with Rifled Confederate Artillery - See page 11 of this rule set
muskets (for Confederates it was mainly the 1853
Enfield rifle) for +4 points. Veteran units also have the
Reluctant Special Rule to simulate their reticence in
assaulting entrenched foes.

Elite Confederate Infantry - The pinnacle of the Con-

federate fighting force, this regiment could be used

ACW Gamer
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 American Civil War Ruleset for Black Powder

Confederate Regiment Tables

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Green Confederate Regular Smoothbore
Infantry Infantry Musket/
1 1 4+ * Untested (-) 15/19
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Small Green Regular Smoothbore
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/ 20/24
4 2 4+ * Untested (-)
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Standard Green Regular Smoothbore
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/
6 3 4+ * Untested (-) 24/28
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Large Green Regular Smoothbore
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/
8 4 4+ * Untested (-) 28/30
Rifled
Musket (+4)

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Regular Regular Smoothbore
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/
1 1 4+ 1 - 19/23
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Small Regular Regular Smoothbore
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/ 28/32
4 2 4+ 2 -
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Standard Regular Regular Smoothbore
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/
6 3 4+ 3 - 36/40
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Large Regular Confed- Regular Smoothbore
erate Infantry Infantry Musket/
8 4 4+ 4 - 44/48
Rifled
Musket (+4)

ACW Gamer
Page 5 Jorge Rodriguez Jr.
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 American Civil War Ruleset for Black Powder

Confederate Regiment Tables II

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Veteran Regular Smoothbore Reliable
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/ (+4), *Rebel 23/27
1 1 4+ 1
Rifled Yell (+5), *28/32
Musket (+4) Reluctant
Small Veteran Regular Smoothbore Reliable
28/32
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/ (+4), *Rebel
4 2 4+ 2 *33/38
Rifled Yell (+5),
Musket (+4) Reluctant
Standard Veteran Regular Smoothbore Reliable
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/ (+4), *Rebel 40/44
6 3 4+ 3
Rifled Yell (+5), *45/49
Musket (+4) Reluctant
Large Veteran Regular Smoothbore Reliable
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/ (+4), *Rebel 48/52
8 4 4+ 4
Rifled Yell (+5), *53/57
Musket (+4) Reluctant

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Elite Confederate Regular Smoothbore Elite 4+
Infantry Infantry Musket/ (+6),
Rifled Reliable 30/34
1 1 3+ 1
Musket (+4) (+4), *35/39
*Rebel Yell
(+5)
Small Elite Regular Smoothbore Elite 4+
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/ (+6),
42/46
Rifled Reliable
4 2 3+ 2 *47/53
Musket (+4) (+4),
*Rebel Yell
(+5)
Standard Elite Regular Smoothbore Elite 4+
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/ (+6),
Rifled Reliable 50/54
6 3 3+ 3
Musket (+4) (+4), *55/59
*Rebel Yell
(+5)
Large Elite Regular Smoothbore Elite 4+
Confederate Infantry Infantry Musket/ (+6),
Rifled Reliable 58/62
8 4 3+ 4
Musket (+4) (+4), *63/67
*Rebel Yell
(+5)

ACW Gamer
Page 6 Jorge Rodriguez Jr.
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 American Civil War Ruleset for Black Powder

Confederate Regiment Tables III

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Confederate Regular Smoothbore Valiant (+3)
Zouaves Infantry Musket/ Brave (+5)
Rifled Stubborn
1 2 4+ 2 38/42
Musket (+4) (+5),
Superbly
Drilled (+5)
Small Veteran Regular Smoothbore Valiant (+3)
Zouaves Infantry Musket/ Brave (+5)
28/32
Rifled Stubborn
4 3 4+ 3 *33/38
Musket (+4) (+5),
Superbly
Drilled (+5)
Standard Confederate Regular Smoothbore Valiant (+3)
Zouaves Infantry Musket/ Brave (+5)
Rifled Stubborn 40/44
6 4 4+ 4
Musket (+4) (+5), *45/49
Superbly
Drilled (+5)
Large Confederate Regular Smoothbore Valiant (+3)
Zouaves Infantry Musket/ Brave (+5)
Rifled Stubborn 48/52
Musket (+4) 8 5 4+ 5
(+5), *53/57
Superbly
Drilled (+5)

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Confederate Regular Rifled
Infantry Sharpshooters Infantry Musket Sharp 26
1 2 3+ 1
Shooter (+3)

Small Confederate Regular Rifled

36
Infantry Sharpshooters Infantry Musket Sharp
4 3 3+ 2
Shooter (+3)

Standard Confederate Regular Rifled

Infantry Sharpshooters Infantry Musket Sharp 45
6 4 3+ 3
Shooter (+3)

Large Confederate Regular Rifled

Infantry Sharpshooters Infantry Musket Sharp 54
8 5 3+ 4
Shooter (+3)

ACW Gamer
Page 7 Jorge Rodriguez Jr.
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 American Civil War Ruleset for Black Powder
Rules for Union Forces
Most of the best and brightest officers went over to points.
the Confederate side of the conflict. Even though the Veteran Union Infantry - This designation applies to
Union army was better equipped and had better logis- many of the infantry brigades that fought since the be-
tics, the Union Army was forced to prosecute the War ginning of the War of Secession. A veteran Union reg-
with an impatient Congress who in turn was pushed iment has the Reliable Special Rule which represents
by the Northern public and press as well as suffering a hardened body of soldiers. This regiment can be
through many Union commanders until almost the end armed with Rifled muskets (for the Union it was mainly
of the war. Commanders point cost equals Staff Rat- the 1855 Springfield rifle) for +4 points. Veteran units
ing x12, so typical commanders with a Staff rating of 8 also have the Reluctant Special Rule to simulate their
cost 96 points. reticence in assaulting entrenched foes.
Reluctant: Veteran soldiers, through hard experience, Elite Union Infantry - The pinnacle of the Union fight-
learned when attacks on fixed positions could be suc- ing force, this regiment could be used to bolster the
cessfully assaulted and which ones could not succeed. line at a critical moment. This regiment has the Elite
Many units ‘went to ground’ rather than get slaugh- and Valiant Special Rule which could potentially turn
tered. This is not a comment on their courage rather the tide of battle. This regiment can be armed with
a reflection of their experience. If this unit is given Rifled muskets (for the Union it was mainly the 1855
the order to Charge enemies that are in cover, occu- Springfield rifle) for +4 points.
pying buildings or fortifications, then this unit rolls on Union Zouaves/Iron Brigade - the zouaves were
the Blunder table (page 29 of the Black Powder Rule units of highly motivated volunteer militia. Zouaves
book). Follow the instructions on the table, except wore distinctive uniforms which set them apart from
treat a roll of one (1) as Retreat. The unit will attempt the rest of the troops. Zouave had a reputation of
to make one move away from the closest enemy they being fierce but disciplined fighters under fire. Union
can see. They may not charge other enemy who lie in forces a number of different Zouaves units than the
their path - but must avoid them in so far as possible. If Confederates; some notable examples are the 14th
no enemy are in sight, they make a move towards their Brooklyn (Chasseurs), 5th New York Volunteers ‘Dury-
own rear or table edge as seems most appropriate, ee’s Zouaves’ and the 11th New York Volunteer Infan-
and a roll of two (2) as Hold its ground - it stays where try ‘Fire Zouaves’. This stat line can also be used for
it is and does not move. the Iron Brigade for the same reasons. This regiment
can be armed with Rifled muskets (for Union it was
Union Regiment Descriptions
mainly the 1855 Springfield rifle) for +4 points.
Green Union Infantry - Regiments with this designa- Union Infantry Sharpshooters – Union forces includ-
tion are freshly raised, have ‘yet to see the elephant’ ed sharpshooters that were well equipped and trained
and therefore unsure how combat will affect them. in skirmishing tactics; they already have had to be an
Union green infantry have the Freshly Raised Special excellent shot to qualify. 1st and 2nd United States
Rule which represents the unit’s insecurity before the Sharpshooters (also known as Berdan’s sharpshoot-
battle. Playing in campaigns, most of the Union forces ers) were a few of the regiments that did not wear the
are green during the 1861 campaigns, although the standard Union blue uniform instead they wore green
number of Green regiments was reduced drastically colored uniforms. Other sharpshooter regiments were
due to attrition in later years of the conflict; the Union the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment ‘Western
forces still fielded Green Regiments into battle. This Sharpshooters’ and Company K of the 1st Regiment
regiment can be armed with Rifled muskets (for the Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters. Union sharpshoot-
Union it was mainly the 1855 Springfield rifle) for +4 ers were equipped with ether the Sharps rifle or any
points. other available rifled musket (cost already included).
Regular Union Infantry - A typical line infantry reg- Union Cavalry - Use the stats, rules and points cost in
iment that has been bloodied in the crucible of war. the Black Powder rulebook, page 180.
This unit can be armed with Rifled muskets (for the Union Artillery - See the Artillery weapon profile, page
Union it was mainly the 1855 Springfield rifle) for +4 11 of this ruleset.
ACW Gamer
Page 8 Jorge Rodriguez Jr.
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 American Civil War Ruleset for Black Powder

Union Regiment Tables

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Green Union Regular Smoothbore
Infantry Infantry Musket/ Freshly
1 1 4+ 1 16/20
Rifled Raised (-3)
Musket (+4)
Small Green Union In- Regular Smoothbore Freshly
fantry Infantry Musket/ Raised (-3) 25/29
4 2 4+ 2
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Standard Green Union Regular Smoothbore Freshly
Infantry Infantry Musket/ Raised (-3)
6 3 4+ 2 29/33
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Large Green Union In- Regular Smoothbore Freshly
fantry Infantry Musket/ Raised (-3)
8 4 4+ 3 37/41
Rifled
Musket (+4)

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Regular Union Regular Smoothbore
Infantry Infantry Musket/
1 1 4+ 1 - 19/23
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Small Regular Union Regular Smoothbore
Infantry Infantry Musket/ 28/32
4 2 4+ 2 -
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Standard Regular Union Regular Smoothbore
Infantry Infantry Musket/
6 3 4+ 3 - 36/40
Rifled
Musket (+4)
Large Regular Union Regular Smoothbore
Infantry Infantry Musket/
8 4 4+ 4 - 44/48
Rifled
Musket (+4)

ACW Gamer
Page 9 Jorge Rodriguez Jr.
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 American Civil War Ruleset for Black Powder

Union Regiment Tables II

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Veteran Union Regular Smoothbore
Infantry Infantry Musket/ Reliable
1 1 4+ 1 23/27
Rifled (+4)
Musket (+4)
Small Veteran Union Regular Smoothbore
Infantry Infantry Musket/ Reliable 28/32
4 2 4+ 2
Rifled (+4)
Musket (+4)
Standard Veteran Union Regular Smoothbore
Infantry Infantry Musket/ Reliable
6 3 4+ 3 40/44
Rifled (+4)
Musket (+4)
Large Veteran Union Regular Smoothbore
Infantry Infantry Musket/ Reliable
8 4 4+ 4 48/52
Rifled (+4)
Musket (+4)

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Elite Union Regular Smoothbore
Elite 4+ (+6)
Infantry Infantry Musket/
1 1 3+ 1 Reliable 30/34
Rifled
(+4)
Musket (+4)
Small Elite Union Regular Smoothbore
Elite 4+ (+6)
Infantry Infantry Musket/ 42/46
4 2 4+ 2 Reliable
Rifled
(+4)
Musket (+4)
Standard Elite Union Regular Smoothbore
Elite 4+ (+6)
Infantry Infantry Musket/
6 3 4+ 3 Reliable 50/54
Rifled
(+4)
Musket (+4)
Large Elite Union Regular Smoothbore
Elite 4+ (+6)
Infantry Infantry Musket/
8 4 4+ 4 Reliable 58/62
Rifled
(+4)
Musket (+4)

ACW Gamer
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 American Civil War Ruleset for Black Powder

Union Regiment Tables III

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
Tiny Union Zouaves/Iron Regular Smoothbore Valiant (+3)
Brigade Infantry Musket/ Brave (+5)
Rifled Stubborn
1 2 4+ 2 38/42
Musket (+4) (+5),
Superbly
Drilled (+5)
Small Union Zouaves/ Regular Smoothbore Valiant (+3)
Iron Brigade Infantry Musket/ Brave (+5)
Rifled Stubborn 52/56
4 3 4+ 3
Musket (+4) (+5),
Superbly
Drilled (+5)
Standard Union Regular Smoothbore Valiant (+3)
Zouaves/Iron Brigade Infantry Musket/ Brave (+5)
Rifled Stubborn
6 4 4+ 4 60/64
Musket (+4) (+5),
Superbly
Drilled (+5)
Large Union Zouaves/ Regular Smoothbore
Iron Brigade Infantry Musket/ Reliable
8 6 4+ 5 68/72
Rifled (+4)
Musket (+4)

Artillery Weapon Profile (Confederate and Union)

Unit Name Type Armament HtH Shooting Morale Stamina Special Point
Cost
12 pdr Napoleon Regular 12 pdr
Ammo
(Smoothbore) Artillery Napoleon 1 3-2-1 3+ 2 27
types
Range 48”
12 pdr Napoleon Regular 12 pdr Ammo
Howitzer Artillery Napoleon types 23
1 3-2-1 4+ 2
Range 36” Howitzer Howitzer
Rules
Parrot 10 pdr Rifle Regular Parrot 10
Ammo
Range 72” Artillery pdr Rifle 1 3-2-1 4+ 2 31
types
3 inch Ordinance Rifle Regular 3 inch
Ammo
Range 72” Artillery Ordinance 1 3-2-1 4+ 2 31
types
Rifle
6 pdr Gun Regular 6 pdr Gun Ammo
1 3-2-1 4+ 2 23
Range 36” Artillery types

Note: Reduce one point of cost for each gun if bought as part of a battery.

ACW Gamer
Page 11 Jorge Rodriguez Jr.
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 Scenario
Scenario: Decimation of the 5th New York
A Second Bull Run (Manassas 1862 Engagement

The Antagonists that BG George Sykes filled with only the units under
As a large Union force commanded by John Pope Col. Warren’s command. Warren then had elements of
waited for George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac 10th NY go forward (east) as skirmishers to reconnoi-
in anticipation of a combined offensive, Confederate ter the wood in front of them. What the 10th found was
General Robert E. Lee decided to strike first. Lee sent that Hood’s Texas Brigade was moving east through
half of his Army of Northern Virginia to hit the Federal the woods as part of Gen. Longstreet’s massive flank
supply base at Manassas. Led by Stonewall Jackson, attack and routed the 10th. The remainder of the 10th
hero of the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) 13 fled back to their lines impeding the 5th NY’s line of
months earlier, the rebels seized supplies and burned sight to the enemy.
the depot, then established hidden positions in the The Confederates gouged the remainder of the 10th
woods. On August 29, Pope’s Federals clashed with and mauled the 5th in shooting and then a brutal close
Jackson’s men, who held their ground with heavy loss- combat action forcing the tattered remnants of both to
es on both sides. On August 30, 1862, around 4:00 fall back. Before the 5th fell back, Private James Webb
p.m., after the rest of Lee’s army arrived, 28,000 reb- of F Company 5th NY went to warn Lt. Hazlett about
els led by James Longstreet launched a counterattack, the Confederate attack, which allowed the lieutenant
forcing Pope to withdraw his battered army toward to retire the guns without any loses. A notable element
Washington that night. of this action was the furious attempt to capture the
5th’s colors by the Confederates (they had captured
One part of this counterattack centers on the actions the 10th’s colors) and the resilience of the 5th to retain
of the Confederate Texas Brigade composed of the their colors, allowing the 5th to successfully retire its
1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Volunteer Infantry, 18th Geor- colors. This action all but destroyed the 5th New York,
gia and the Hampton Legion (South Carolina) com- of 525 men they had 332 casualties, and 121 mortally
manded by Brigadier-General John Bell Hood versus wounded, the greatest single battle fatality of all Feder-
Union forces of the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry al volunteer infantry regiments in the entire Civil War
(Duryée’s Zouaves), the 10th New York (National Zou- This scenario showcases the rule-set specifically
aves) and 1st Lt. Charles E. Hazlett’s artillery battery created for Black Powder for the American Civil War,
all led by Col. Gouverneur K. Warren. Crucible of Valor that includes rules for firing artillery
The Union units that were posted as reserves were batteries, the Rebel Yell rule, and the capture the flag
moved to support Porter’s attack which left a wide gap rule.

Objectives:

Confederate Union
• Rout Union forces, i.e. force 75% of Union units to
• Have 50% of Union units holding its ground by the
retire by the end of the game as per rules on page
game as per rules on page 70 -73.
70 -73.
• Capture Union Battery D, 5th U.S. Artillery, i.e. • Warn Hazlett’s Battery (Have one non-routing unit
force the battery to break as per rules on page 70 that was in combat, shooting or otherwise, fall back
-73 to 4” of Hazlett’s battery) and then have the battery
retreat without being captured by the opposing force.
The that fell back may then move as normal.
• Capture the Colors of the 5th New York, see spe- • Save the Colors, see special rules, page 2 of this
cial rules, page 2 of this rule set rule set

ACW Gamer
Page 12 Jorge Rodriguez Jr.
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 Scenario

ORDERS OF BATTLE - Dispositions*

Confederate Forces Union Forces
General in Command: Commander-in-Chief:
• Brigadier-General John Bell Hood,Texas Brigade • Colonel Gouverneur K. Warren [Staff Rating 8,
[Staff Rating 9, High Aggression, High Decisive- Medium Aggression, High Decisiveness, High
ness, Medium Independence] Independence]
First Brigade First Brigade
• Brigade Commander: • Brigade Commander:
Lt. Col. B. F. Carter Captain Cleveland Winslow
• 4th Texas - 1 Standard Veteran Confederate • 5th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment - 1
Infantry Standard Union Zouave Unit
Second Brigade Second Brigade
• Brigade Commander: • Brigade Commander:
Colonel Frederick S. Bass Col. John E. Bendix
• 1st Texas - 1 Standard Veteran Confederate • 10th New York National Guard Zouaves - 1
Infantry Small Union Zouave regiment (Historically,
these were 4 companies placed as a reserve
on the left of the 5th NY)
Third Brigade Third Brigade
• Brigade Commander: • Brigade Commander:
Colonel William T. Wofford Lt. Col. John W. Marshall
• 18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry - 1 Standard • 10th New York National Guard Zouaves which
Veteran Confederate Infantry (historically, start the game in skirmish formation. - 1 Union
this unit captured 10th NY’s colors) standard Zouave regiment (Historically, the 10th
moved 6 companies east through the trees, en-
countered Longstreet’s troops engaged them but
were routed. They retreated back and fell back to
the rest of the Regiment)
Fourth Brigade Fourth Brigade
• Brigade Commander: • Brigade Commander:
Lt. Col. Martin W. Gary 1st Lt. Charles E. Hazlett
• Hampton Legion (South Carolina) - 1 • Battery D, 5th U.S. Artillery, 4 - 10pdr Parrott
Standard Veteran Confederate Infantry rifles

Fifth Brigade
• Brigade Commander:
Captain W.T. Hill
• 5th Texas Volunteer Infantry Regiment - 1
Standard Veteran Confederate Infantry

ACW Gamer
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 Scenario
* The Crucible of Valor rule set includes the rules for the special abilities of each of the units used in this en-
gagement. As stated before, these are entirely optional and left to the discretion of the combatants as to wheth-
er to incorporate their use in the game or not. If the opponents wish, they could muster entirely different units
based on points costs decided in whatever manner they choose.

Set up
The game can be played on a 12’ x 6’ table set up as Union Placement:
shown on the map. The map shows the initial positions • The Standard Union Zouave unit of the 10th
of the Confederate and Union forces. The Union forces New York begins in skirmish formation 12” in
go first and must move the 10th NY Standard Zouave front of the Small Union Zouave unit of the 10th
Unit into the woods. For games with a different roster, NY. This unit moves into the wood as per the
who begins first is decided in the customary manner rules on page 36 until it comes into visual con
the opponents wishes. The duration of the battle can tact with the Confederate forces. Player may
be any length, again, chosen by the combatants, but it then proceed with this unit as he/she wishes.
is recommended that it be no less than 10 turns. • The 5th New York is placed at least 6” near the
right flank of the Small Union Zouave unit of the
Placement of Forces 10th NY in front of the treeline.
Confederate Placement: • Hazlett’s Battery deploys on a hill near the north
Confederate forces must place their units aligned 18” corner of the woods. All normal rules for firing
from the table edge. Confederate forces must move apply, including the rules of battery fire presented
forward into the woods. All units must change for- in this rule set.
mation into skirmish formation in order to enter and Union forces must have at least 50% of its forces hold
traverse the wood as per the main rules on page 36. its ground (i.e. 2 of the 4 units fielded which can in-
They are to engage any enemy units encountered and clude Hazlett’s Battery), while allowing Hazlett’s Bat-
capture the colors of said enemy units while continuing tery to retire (retiring in good order can fulfill part of
to move forward. the first objective’s directives), as per instructed in the

ACW Gamer
Page 14 Jorge Rodriguez Jr.
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 Scenario

‘Objectives’ portion of this scenario. Also, The Union

commander must prevent the colors of the 5th New
York to fall into enemy hands.

Obstacles
Behind the Union forces lies Young’s Branch stream a
tributary of Bull Run. Any unit that wishes to traverse
Young’s Branch stream follows the rules for obstacles
as set forth in the main rules on page 37.

References
Maps of Second Manassas, Virginia (1862) Porter’s
Attack - August 30, 1862. Civil War Trust. http://www.
civilwar.org/battlefields/secondmanassas/maps/por-
ters-attack-map.html.

Maps of Second Manassas, Virginia (1862) Second

Manassas - Longstreet’s Assault - August 30, 1862.
Civil War Trust. http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/
secondmanassas/maps/longstreets-assault-august.
html.

Pohanka, Brian C. Destruction of the 5th New York.

America’s Civil War Magazine. September 2002.
Retrieved from: http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/
secondmanassas/second-manassas-history-articles/
second-battle-of-bull-run.html

Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas). History.com.

http://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-second-bull-run

Black Powder and the Black Powder logo are copy-

right Warlord Games Ltd 2013. All rights reserved.
www.warlordgames.com

ACW Gamer
Page 15 Jorge Rodriguez Jr.
Issue 1 Fall 2013
Brett Davis (order #25740868)